


Tennis Drabbles

by Tessa_Harrison



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2015-06-22
Packaged: 2018-03-03 10:52:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 2,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2848283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tessa_Harrison/pseuds/Tessa_Harrison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Variety of tenipuri drabbles originally written and posted on tumblr (username: nommonkeypie)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Atobe/Jirou

"I’m sorry."

The whisper seemed to echo in the room but he knew he hadn’t been heard. That had been the point. He wasn’t trying to wake the man sleeping on the sofa. Doing that would only make this harder, if not downright impossible. It wasn’t like this was something he wanted to do. It was something he had to.

"I don’t want to hurt you." But he had to. "I never meant to hurt you," he added, reluctant to leave even though he knew it was necessary. Not just for his own sake but for both of them. Words were terrible things. With them, you could say anything. They could mean everything or absolutely nothing.

Arguments of the past, from long ago and from just a few hours ago, all immediately came to mind. He knew they would only keep coming back and that if nothing changed, they would continue to stay in this endless cycle of misery.

It was almost too simple to leave. He knew it wouldn’t last. In a few hours, the man on the sofa would wake up. When he realized what had happened, he would call and call and call in an attempt to keep things the same as they had been.

Later then. Maybe by the time the calls started, he might almost be able to deal with them.


	2. Yuushi/Gakuto

"Your problems are none of my concern." Gakuto paced back and forth in front of the window. Over and over, he repeated the sentence, getting louder with each word and repetition.

"So I’ve heard."

Oshitari really didn’t feel the glare directed towards him was deserved. “You’ve been telling me this for the last twenty minutes,” he pointed out.

"Who in their right mind says something like that?" Gakuto crossed his arms and Oshitari could see the redhead starting to tense. Great. Just what he needed. Gakuto on the verge of picking a fight.

"Your father, as you’ve continued to tell me." Oshitari leaned back, closing the book he’d been reading and setting it aside. "Which means that his problems are none of your concern either."

"So?"

It was a minor relief to see Gakuto starting to deflate. He hadn’t gotten his fight so he’d eventually start calming down. The sooner Gakuto calmed down, the better off they were and the less likely it was that Gakuto would go off and do something stupid.

"All it means is that he’s an idiot and that’s got nothing to do with you. Besides," Oshitari said, smirking as he added, "he’s not here right now."


	3. Shishido/Gakuto

He dodged the tennis shoe. “The fuck you fucker! That almost hit me!”

"Well stand still and I’ll make sure I get you next time."

"Like you can actually aim."

"I could do better than you at least."

They were at a standstill. The tiny one-room apartment felt even smaller thanks to the disaster zone they’d created. Gakuto picked up the shoe’s match, holding it in a ready position. It didn’t take a mind-reader to know what was going through the redhead’s mind right now. The guy was just waiting for Shishido to say or do something that would give him a reason to throw the shoe.

"You lied to me."

It was supposed to be an accusation. Instead, it just came out sad and defeated. They both knew what had been said. What had been done. The shoe in Gakuto’s hand fell, hitting the floor with a soft thud.

"I know."

And as much as they both might wish to, there were just some actions that couldn’t be taken back. “And I lied to you.”

Neither of them were perfect. Neither of them had ever claimed to be and now, more than ever, it was apparent just how imperfect they were.

Gakuto nudged the shoe with his foot. “So that’s where we are.”

"Yeah, I guess so." Shishido leaned against the door. "What’s this mean now?"

"…I don’t know," Gakuto admitted. He was quiet for a moment before adding, "just go. Leave."

Shishido scowled. “Why me? You’re just as much the problem as me.” It didn’t seem fair or right that he was the one being punished here.

Of course Gakuto had to have the last word. “You’re the one by the door, dumbass.”


	4. Sanada/Yukimura

"I could take my sister shopping with the bags under your eyes."

It was almost impressive just how large they were. Yukimura had thought the bags yesterday had been big; today they appeared to be staging a revolution.

"I don’t have bags under my eyes." Yukimura knew the situation was bad when even Sanada didn’t sound like he believed himself.

The lie was obvious and all Yukimura could do was sigh. “How long has it been since you last slept?”

Sanada crossed his arm, putting on a gruff face that wasn’t fooling anyone. All it did was make the guy looked even more exhausted. From where he was, it was impossible for Yukimura to physically make Sanada sit otherwise he would have. He motioned him over instead.

"I sleep every night."

"You pass out from exhaustion every night." Yukimura gave a satisfied smile as Sanada took a seat in the chair next to his bed. "That’s not sleeping."

"I rest. That’s enough."

Yukimura reached over, resting his hand on Sanada’s. “I know I’ve asked a lot of you.” After all, as much as Sanada and Yanagi tried to help him, it was impossible for Yukimura to keep up with his duties as captain. He was trying not to but more and more, everything kept falling on Sanada. The effect it was having was obvious. “You have to take care of yourself too.”

"I’m fine."

"If you were, there wouldn’t be bags under your eyes."

Yukimura hated that he needed to rely on Sanada so much. He just wanted life to go back to normal, the way it was supposed to be and the way he had always imagined it would be. “I’ll be back soon.”

He would have had to be blind to miss the way Sanada sat up straighter. The way he seemed more alert. “I’ll be back soon,” Yukimura repeated, holding up a hand to keep Sanada from talking. “The doctor finally signed off on my surgery. He set a date.”

"When?"

It was strange to hear so much hope in Sanada’s voice. 

Here came the hard part. “The day of the Kantou final.” Yukimura wished it was any other time.

"What about Nationals?"

"I’ll be back."

Sanada nodded curtly. “We’ll get you there,” he promised.

There was the fire. It made Yukimura feel warm and made him smile “Then go get some rest so you can do that.”


	5. Silver Pair

Shishido looked up when the door slammed. “Choutarou?” He asked, more out of disbelief than anything else. “Is that you?”

The door to their room slammed shut in response. Getting up, he went over to the door and knocked. “You okay in there?”

No response.

Shishido opened the door slowly, not sure what sort of scene he was going to encounter. “Did something happen, Choutarou? What was it?” Because something had to have happened for Choutarou to make his sweet, lovable Choutarou to start acting like this.

"I saw my parents."

Crap. On a scale from one to terrible, that put it up on nuclear disaster level. “Want to talk about it?”

"No."

Shishido didn’t doubt that. Choutarou and his parents weren’t on the best of terms and hadn’t been ever since the day they’d kicked him out. And unlike just about anything else, there wasn’t anything Shishido could do.

He pulled Choutarou into a hug. “Then we won’t,” he promised. “I don’t want to share you with anyone anyway.”

The almost smile told him that everything would be okay.


	6. Sanada/Niou

Another pair of socks went in the suitcase.

"So you’re really going to leave. Just like that."

Sanada took a deep breath. He didn’t want a fight. He just wanted the last of his clothes. He’d already gotten everything else moved to his brother’s house. All he needed now were the last few things. “It’s the best decision.”

"Bullshit." Niou didn’t move from his spot in the doorway. He’d planted himself in the middle of it, blocking the way for anyone who might want to get through. "Never thought I’d see Sanada Genichirou turn into a coward."

He really hated how this only seemed to be bringing out Niou’s worst qualities. As much as Sanada wanted to get angry, to lash out like Niou was, he knew he couldn’t.

"This is the best decision I can make," Sanada repeated as he zipped up the bag. "It’s what I need to do."

"No. It’s called you’re running away because you’ve become a spineless coward who’s lost sight of who he is."

Picking up the bag, Sanada refused to rise to the bait. He wasn’t going to leave on a fight no matter how much Niou kept trying to push for one.

Still, he was gritting his teeth when he asked, “will you let me through?”

Niou stretched his arms to block the doorway even more. Sanada knew it wouldn’t be hard to physically force his way past the other guy but he was trying to avoid that situation. “And if I don’t?”

"Even if you don’t, it won’t change anything."

"Because you’re a fucking coward."

Spit landed on his face. Sanada didn’t wipe it away which only seemed to set Niou off. “Seriously, who the fuck are you? The Sanada Genichirou I know, the one I’ve always known, wouldn’t just be standing here like some fucking robot. He’d be getting pissed and actually doing something. And by something, I don’t mean running away.”

"Times change." Sanada started counting in his head. He wasn’t going to let Niou get under his skin even if the guy had already succeeded in doing just that.

"Obviously." Niou’s tone was pure venom but at least he moved out of the way, allowing Sanada the chance to get through the doorway. "And you know what. Fuck it and fuck you. Don’t let your mother send me an invite to the wedding."

"She wouldn’t do that."

She would and they both knew it. His mother had always hated Niou. She’d love having an opportunity to make things worse for him.

"I don’t care. I mean, why should I? It’s not like you do. So get the fuck out and go enjoy your perfect little life." Niou laughed. "I hope you’re miserable."

Sanada had to bite his cheek. If he hadn’t, he would have exploded and created the exact situation he was trying to avoid.

"And if your spine ever does manage to grow back, you’ll know where to find me."

Sanada shut the door behind him, cutting Niou off so that he wouldn’t have to hear any more.


	7. Atobe/Choice

"Have you ever been afraid like this?"

The hand holding his own tightened its grip. “Only once,” he admitted. “The day I told you how I felt.”

"You should be glad I’m not Oshitari. He would never let you live it down if he knew you said something like that."

"That’s why he’ll never find out. Right?" His companion raised an eyebrow, ruining the seriousness of the situation.

Atobe bit back a chuckle. “I won’t tell but I wouldn’t be surprised if he still found out.” Oshitari was amazingly talented at finding out about embarrassing stuff he really shouldn’t know. Atobe leaned over to whisper in his boyfriend’s ear. “It will be okay. No matter what your parents say or do, you’ll always have me.”

He nodded. “I know.” He squeezed Atobe’s hand. “It’s just, well, they’re my parents. I can’t help but be afraid.”


	8. Shishido/Ohtori

_Please open up and swallow me whole._

It was the only thought running through his head right now. This was the absolute worst moment of his life and he just wanted it to be over. And never ever see his senpai again. Because he just wanted to die. Dying would be good. Very good.

He wanted to squirm. It was hard to keep still but he had the distinct feeling that if he moved even just a little, he’d melt into a pile of embarrassing goo. Being goo wouldn’t be bad. Except he knew he wouldn’t actually turn into goo which made it all the worse.

“Um…yeah, can we just pretend I didn’t say that?” He finally asked. Maybe if they both just ignored what he’d said, the awkwardness would go away. With his luck, that wouldn’t happen but he could dream. He was good at dreaming.

The silence continued to hang over them.

_Any time now would be great._

He looked at the ground longingly. Nope, no ground opening up to swallow him and taking him away for good.

Wet and sloppy. It took him a moment to realize just what was happening. Of course, frozen in the moment like he was, it didn’t do anything to encourage the other.

“Sorry,” the gruff voice of his senpai apologized. “I just…”

“It’s okay,” he heard his own voice say. His voice didn’t quite sound like its normal self. Actually he didn’t exactly feel like his normal self either.

Shishido-san leaned back, staring up at him. “You sure?”

He nodded. Feeling his face warm, he added, “if it’s okay…could we try that again?”


	9. Silver Pair

The cold had long since leeched any feeling from his limbs. He knew he should leave, that it was time for him to go. He just couldn’t.

“I wish I could hate you.”

But he couldn’t. Not Shishido. There was no way he could hate him. He wished he could though. It would make this a lot easier.

“You should come home,” a familiar voice said from behind him. “Your parents are getting worried.”

Ohtori didn’t say anything. His fingers tightened their grip on the cold iron of the swing’s chain. “I can’t. Not yet.”

Hiyoshi sighed as he took a seat on the swing next to Ohtori. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. Ohtori knew what his friend would say anyways. He was just glad that Hiyoshi wasn’t one to meddle or want to talk about everything.

“I just thought…” His voice trailed off. He didn’t know what he thought. “Why can’t I hate him?”

Ohtori pushed the ground with his foot, swaying the swing back and forth. He knew the answer, it just wasn’t something he wanted to hear. Years ago when Shishido had left for high school, the guy had promised they’d be friends forever, that one year wasn’t going to make a difference. They’d reaffirmed that promise a few years later when Ohtori had decided to attend a university a few hours away. For years they’d been close.

And then…

“I’m not good at this kind of thing,” Hiyoshi admitted. “You know that.”

Ohtori did. Shishido had been his best friend but Hiyoshi had been his oldest and closest friend. He gave the guy a half-hearted smile. “It’s okay. You’re not the one who…”

“It was a shit move of him.”

“Her.”

“Both of them.”

They fell back into silence. The words hung heavy in the space between them. Ohtori wanted to defend Shishido. Had this had been a few years ago, he would have tried his hardest to defend his friend. Even now he wanted to and it took more effort than he cared to admit to bite back the urge. Shishido was a great guy, he’d always been a great friend. Well, had been at least. It was just the situation with his...Ohtori looked at his watch. His wife. She was his wife now.

He felt ill.

“Come home?” Hiyoshi suggested. It came out more like a question. “It’s better than just sitting here and slowly freezing to death.”

“A few more minutes.” Ohtori promised. Maybe the numbness would be gone by then.


	10. Shishido/Gakuto

“Hey, have you seen the…?“

Gakuto froze in the doorway of the small apartment. He stared into it. “Oh.”

Shishido looked up from the box he was going through. “Nope,” he answered without even bothering to hear what Gakuto was about to finish asking.

“I see that.” Gakuto nudged a box away from the doorway so that he could actually step into the place. “How the hell did you manage to make this much of a mess?”

“My brother stopped by with the last of my things,” Shishido answered. “And your parents want us to come over for dinner tomorrow night.”

Gakuto groaned. “Seriously?”

Shishido nodded. He had a pained look on his face that had to mirror the one on Gakuto’s own. “I know. But it’d be free food.”

Moving a couple of things so that there was a clear spot on the floor, Gakuto sat down. “It’s not my parents. It’s my mom who wants us.”

“I like your mom.” Shishido picked up an old tennis ball and lightly tossed it. “Think we could get a dog?”

“Not until you get this mess cleaned up.”

Shishido rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I know. We can hit up the pet store that’s near your parents place after dinner tomorrow. Just get an idea, that’s all.”


End file.
